The degree programme aims to produce high-calibre Master's graduates with language/cultural and language/theoretical skills in a European or extra-European foreign language, as well as specific training in teaching foreigners Italian language and culture. Along with a broad background in literature, political and cultural history, and traditional Italian art and music, graduates will also possess a range of flexible techniques with which to tackle issues of mediation in an intercultural situation, as well as the complex problems of a multi-ethnic citizenry. Their teacher training entails internships, placements, laboratories and tailor-made training activities, answering to the new job description of teacher of Italian language and culture which our now multi-ethnic middle and high schools require (a framework qualifying exam is currently up for institutional approval). The programme thus allows for gradual acquisition of skills suited to the two profiles: tuition in the first year is more specialist-weighted (teaching of Italian as L2), a series of complementary course units connected with languages, and others designed as an introduction to multiculturalism (pedagogy of inter-culturalism, anthropology of migratory processes). The second year hinges around the compulsory internship, which may also be conducted abroad. Over the two years students gain a mature knowledge of their foreign languages. They have an opportunity to attend Curriculum internships (Tirocinio formativo attivo – TFAs) leading to teacher qualification in one or two foreign languages.
Admission requirements for the degree programme
1. Curricular requirements and verification thereof
To benefit from a second-cycle Master's degree programme in Italian Culture and Language for Foreigners, one needs to have a three-year university degree or diploma or another qualification gained abroad and recognised as suitable.
To join the Master's degree programme the following access requirements are also needed:
a) To have gained a degree in one of the following classes or possess another qualification gained abroad and recognised as suitable:
ex D.M. 270: class L-11;
ex. D.M. 509/99: class 11;
Foreign languages and literatures under the old 4-year system. the student must have gained at least:
- 36 credits (18 in the first language and 18 in the second- or accredited C1 certificates) in two languages from the following subject areas (Modern Languages):
L-LIN/04 – Language and translation-French, L-LIN/07 – Language and translation-Spanish,
L-LIN/09 – Language and translation-Portuguese and Brazilian, L-LIN/12 – Language and translation-English,
L-LIN/14 – Language and translation-German, L-LIN/19 - Ugro-Finnic philology,
L-LIN/21 – Slav studies,
L-OR/12 – Language and literature-Arabic,
L-OR/21 – Language and literature-China and South-East Asia,
provided they are currently active in the academic year you register for the Master's Degree Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners.
b) To have gained a degree in one of the following classes or possess another qualification gained abroad and recognised as suitable:
ex D.M. 270: L-10, L-12, L-19, L-20 and L-36;
ex. D.M. 509/99: 3, 5, 14, 15 and 18;
provided you have gained at least:
36 credits (18 in the first language + 18 in the second language- or accredited C1 certificates) in two languages belonging to the following disciplines (Modern Languages):
L-LIN/04 – Language and translation-French, L-LIN/07 – Language and translation-Spanish,
L-LIN/09 – Language and translation-Portuguese and Brazilian, L-LIN/12 – Language and translation-English,
L-LIN/14 – Language and translation-German, L-LIN/19 - Ugro-Finnic philology,
L-LIN/21 – Slav studies,
L-OR/12 – Language and literature-Arabic,
L-OR/21 – Language and literature-China and South-East Asia,
provided they are currently active in the academic year you register for the Master's Degree Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners;
6 credits in the disciplines:
L-Fil-Let/10 – Italian literature, or L-Fil-lett/11 – Contemporary Italian literature;
6 credits in the disciplines:
L-Lin/01 – Glottology and linguistics, or L-Lin/02 – Teaching of modern languages.
c) If one does not possess a degree and/or credits as required, admission to the Master's degree programme is conditional on a preliminary interview by a Committee to assess whether the necessary skills are possessed.
The Committee appointed by the Master's Degree Programme Board will set a calendar of interview dates from September to December, and post this on the University Portal.
If the Committee judges the graduate's background knowledge to be compatible, it will pronounce the candidate suitable, thus admitting him/her to the basic knowledge assessment (see following section).
Assessment of basic knowledge
Admission to the Master's degree programme is conditional not only on possessing the set curricular requirements, but on passing an assessment of basic knowledge, equivalent to having obtained a degree with a minimum grade to be set by the Degree Programme Board from year to year.
Students having a foreign qualification in which no final grade is stated or one which cannot be converted into 110ths will have to undergo an interview (including by video-conference) to assess whether they possess the basic knowledge; by way of alternative, they may present the Committee president with a detailed résumé of their university curriculum.
The Committee appointed by the Master's Degree Programme Board will set a calendar of interview dates from September to December, and post this on the University Portal.
If the Committee judges the background knowledge to be compatible, it will pronounce the graduate suitable for registration on the degree programme.
It is up to the Degree Programme Board to decide if the assessment of basic knowledge may be waived, provided the curricular requirements are satisfied, in cases of:
- withdrawal,
- loss of student status,
- exercise of the old-system option,
- possession of an academic qualification or of having done training at a foreign university,
- switching from another degree programme at Bologna University
- transfer from another university.
The judgment is based on criteria set by the Degree Programme Board every year and posted on the University Portal.
The principles governing such criteria are compatibility of background knowledge with the access requirements and the fact that the professional grounding obtained is not out of date.
The second-cycle degree programme may decide on a special session for international students and appoint a Committee to check the suitability of their academic background, if the Call for study grant allocation allows time (its deadline is usually in May).
If international students have been positively evaluated under the foregoing point, they are exempt from the next step foreseen for the majority of students, viz. an assessment of their personal knowledge.